Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

A BILL

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt certain silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act of 2013.

2.

Silvicultural activities

Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(3)

Silvicultural activities

(A)

NPDES permit requirements for silvicultural activities

The Administrator shall not require a permit or otherwise promulgate regulations under this section or directly or indirectly require any State to require a permit under this section for a discharge of stormwater runoff resulting from the conduct of the following silviculture activities: nursery operations, site preparation, reforestation and subsequent cultural treatment, thinning, prescribed burning, pest and fire control, harvesting operations, surface drainage, and road use, construction, and maintenance.

(B)

Permits for dredged or fill material

Nothing in this paragraph exempts a silvicultural activity resulting in the discharge of dredged or fill material from any permitting requirement under section 404.

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November 12, 2014

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed